Fatality at curve leaves people wondering if more safety measures needed

Wednesday

Jul 17, 2013 at 12:01 AMJul 17, 2013 at 4:02 PM

Steve Huffman / Times-News

GRAHAM – A Sunday accident that resulted in a fatality at a sharp curve on North Main Street has left some wondering if it’s time for more warning signs and other safety measures.

Graham police said Hoover Leon Byrd, 52, of Kernodle Drive, was pronounced dead following the 10:20 p.m. accident. Officers are unsure if Byrd died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash or if a medical condition led to the accident.

Byrd was traveling north on Main Street when he failed to navigate a sharp curve where the thoroughfare becomes Providence Road. Byrd’s car struck a porch and stairs leading to the front door of the residence at 301 Providence Road.

Darryl Peebles is pastor of Historic Providence Christian Church, located next to the site of Sunday’s accident. He also lives in the neighborhood and is a firefighter with the Graham Fire Department. Peebles responded to Sunday’s accident.

He sent an email to a number of people with suggestions for steps to increase warnings to motorists approaching the curve. The suggestions include everything from installation of a sign reading “Sharp curve,” to the installation of a guard rail or a flashing caution light.

“A few changes might not solve the problems, but they’d at least help,” Peebles said. “There’s a real need there.”

The curve has been the scene of numerous accidents. Peebles said the one left-arrow sign at the site is past the location where drivers should already have turned. After it was run over several times, Peebles had the church’s mailbox moved to the far side of the road, out of harm’s way.

“The cost of a sign, a flashing light and a guard rail is very, very small when compared to life and property already lost over the years,” Peebles wrote.

Graham Mayor Jerry Peterman, himself a firefighter, said he remembers at least two other occasions where cars struck the house that was hit Sunday. He said he’d forwarded Peebles’ email to officials with the N.C. Department of Transportation, which is responsible for the maintenance of Main Street.

“I went through our channels,” Peterman said. “It’s up to the DOT to make changes.”

He said he was one of the emergency responders to Sunday’s accident and said he suspects Byrd was dead before his car hit the house. The only thing that may have made Sunday’s wreck less significant, Peterman said, might be a guard rail that would have deflected the direction of the car.

Still, as a seasoned politician, he noted that installing a caution light would likely lead to complaints from neighbors bothered by its constant flashing.

Peterman said North Main Street was initially designed to continue straight. The roadway was re-routed, he said, “Sometime during the course of the world.” Drivers that continue following North Main Street find it becomes a small side road before coming to a dead end after a block.

Mike Mills is division engineer for the DOT’s Division 7, which includes Alamance County. He said officials with the DOT investigate every accident that results in a fatality, studying to see if anything involving the roadway might be improved to prevent further accidents.

Mills said such an investigation would be conducted pertaining to Sunday’s crash.

“Our traffic unit will take a look at it,” he said.

Mills said officials with the DOT also listen to feedback from individuals who raise concerns about specific roads. He said they’d surely take a closer look at the curve on North Main Street as a result of response from residents.

Mills said the decision to place more signs or install other accident-preventive measures is up to the DOT. He said a decision will be made quickly.

Efforts this week to contact residents of the house where Sunday’s crash occurred were unsuccessful. Tony McBroom lives behind the house on North Main Street. He said he’s lived there five years and seen the aftermath of “quite a few wrecks” where drivers fail to manage the curve.

McBroom said cars parked in the driveway of the Providence Road house have been struck as well as the house itself.